King of Murder

Summary: This story is a part of the series called A Herculeah Jones Mystery. Being the daughter of a private detective and a police lieutenant, Herculeah was born to solve mysteries. It is thought that Mathias King is the murderer, who is a writer of mystery novels. Herculeah is attempting to solve a murder mystery and unbeknownst to her, she ends up befriending the murderer, Rita. There is conflict with her best friend, Meat, as he goes on a date set-up by his mother. He is no longer around to help Herculeah. In the end, Meat is there with Mathias King to save Herculeah from being hurt by the murderer. In the end, things go back to normal for Herculeah and Meat and the mystery is put to rest.

Bib Info: Byars, B. (2006). King of murder. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Interest Level: 5-8

Impression: The book builds in a suspenseful manner while incorporating that the main character, Herculeah, has a crush on her neighbor. The book ending has a twist as Herculeah unveils who the murderer is. I think students would like this book because it seems realistic. Herculeah is an average girl with a curious side. I could definitely see 4th and 5th graders enjoying this mystery.

Reviews and Awards: Horn Book 10/01/06, Wilson's Junior High School 08/21/06, School Library Journal 06/01/06

Reviews: Grade 4-6–In this fast-paced, entertaining tale, Herculeah Jones and her friend Meat think that mystery writer and magician Mathias King could be a murderer. They meet him at the secondhand store where he gets the weapons he uses in his stories. To demonstrate one of his many skills, he lassoes Meat around the neck with a silk cord. But in no time this King of Murder is after Herculeah. She discovers that he's described a crime in A Slash of Life with accurate detail, according to Gilda, the elderly friend of the victim. Herculeah is invited to a tea party at King's Den of Iniquity, where she ends up kicking through a false wall to escape after being drugged by scented candles. But the real danger comes later when she revisits King's house with Gilda. With its twisty conclusion and short, exciting chapters, this story will grab even reluctant readers. The plot and the characters are well developed, especially the sweet and mild Meat as he sorts out his feelings about his best friend.
Zubak, T. (n.d.). [Review of the book King of murder, by B. Bayers]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from: http://www.slj.com/

I read the book “King of Murder” by Betsy Byars. I would recommend this book to girls and boys. It is 115 pages of great mystery telling. Herculeah Jones can’t forget about a murder when she sees one. Every time she steps in to Hidden Treasures, a little shop with used items, she starts investigating a murder. This time she is actually investigating a murderer. Well, she thinks this guy, Mathias King a.k.a. the Murder King, is a murderer because of the stories he writes. He is so detailed in his writing that he sounds like an actual murderer. One of his stories A Slash of Life is exactly like a real murder that took place. Is he really a murderer? Read this amazing book to find out.
H., Saliha. (2009, March 13). King of Murder by Betsy Byars. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://blogs.egusd.net/kidsbookblog/2009/03/13/king-of-murder-betsy-byars/

Use in library setting: This book would be great for a book talk or for creating a book trailer.